


If It Returns, It Was Yours

by orphan_account



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kidfic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 05:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4422965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Leo were best friends, and then Jim moved away. </p><p>Over a decade later, they've run into each other again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If It Returns, It Was Yours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mockingatticus (ladysaraj)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladysaraj/gifts).



> For Sara because I said I'd write her some McKirk. So I wrote her some schmoopy, fluffy Jim/Bones. 
> 
> Inspired by one of those prompt memes floating around tumblr: "You kissed me on the playground the day before you moved away in the 4th grade and now your dorm is right across the hall from mine." 
> 
> (This is definitely not as dire as the title and summary make it seem, I promise. Just some good ol' fluffy schmoop.)

Leo had been so excited for recess that day. His daddy had given him a new anatomy textbook to look at, and he couldn’t wait to sit and read through it. He’d planned to hide away behind the big oak tree by the swing set where no one ever bothered to go and just read quietly until the bell rang. 

He should’ve known he’d never get away with it. 

“Hey, Bones! Whatcha doin’ back here all by your lonesome?” 

Leo rolled his eyes as he looked up at the brightly smiling face of Jim Kirk, who had decided he could just invite himself to sit beside Leo. Also, the stupid  _nickname._  Leo knew he should have never let Jim see the skeletal model he’d gotten for his birthday last year. 

“My name’s Leo,” Leo huffed, though it didn’t have any heat to it. Truth be told, Leo was actually kinda fond of it, as stupid as it was. “And I’m reading, Jim. What’s it look like I’m doing?” 

“What’s it about?” Jim asked excitedly, reaching out to take the book. He looked it over, holding it out of Leo’s reach when he attempted a grab to get it back. After a minute, Jim looked back up at him, eyes wide. 

“This is pretty cool, Bones!” Jim declared, smiling. “Where d’ya get it?” 

Leo made one more attempt at taking back the book before giving up and slumping against the tree. “Daddy gave it to me,” he replied, curling his legs up. “It was one of his extra ones from the batch he’d ordered for his anatomy classes.” 

“Sweet.” 

That was another thing Leo secretly liked about Jim. He didn’t think Leo’s interest in science and biology was silly or gross like most of the other kids did (they all wanted to be rock stars or princesses, so Leo didn't take any of their comments to heart, but it was still annoying to hear), and he always sounded pretty proud whenever he told someone his best friend was gonna be the best doctor in the whole world someday. Leo wasn't too sure about that, but it was nice to hear all the same.

After another minute of awed browsing, Jim handed the book back and settled in beside Leo, resting his chin on his knees as he gazed thoughtfully out to the rest of the playground. Leo watched him for a couple of minutes before returning to the book, intent on finishing the chapter he'd started earlier. If Jim wanted to sit next to him - quietly - then he wasn't gonna stop him.

When Jim's quiet musing turned into silent brooding, Leo shut the book with a  _thump_  and turned his attention to the normally energetic boy.

"Okay, Jim," Leo started, "you're usually yappin' my ear off by now, and I'm thinkin' there's gotta be something on that tiny mind of yours since you're not."

He paused, looking over his friend. Jim had a small, sad-looking smile turning up the corners of his mouth, but it seemed wrong on his normally so carefree face. "What's wrong, Jim?"

Jim didn't say anything for a couple of long minutes, just absently pulling at the grass beneath his shoes. Leo waited, setting the anatomy book aside and giving his full attention to his friend.

"We're moving," Jim finally said softly. "Momma got a job at a college in Iowa, so we're goin' up there."

Leo sat stunned, unable to say anything for a moment. His heart was racing like it did when he and Jim raced down to the creek during the summers, but there was something more there that Leo didn't understand. He just knew the news that Jim was leaving really,  _really_ sucked.

"That sucks," he finally settled on, and Jim snorted.

"Yeah," Jim sighed. "It sucks."

"How does Sam feel about it?" Leo asked. He didn't know Jim's brother as well, but he knew they were close.

Jim shrugged. "About the same. He's gotta leave all his friends behind, too, so he's giving Momma the silent treatment."

Leo couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Real mature."

"Yeah," Jim chuckled. They sat silently for a while before Jim spoke again, "We're leaving after school today."

And, well, if Leo didn't feel like Jim had just punched him.

"I don't wanna go, Bones," Jim added in a whisper, and he looked up at Leo with wide, blue eyes wet with withheld tears. "I don't wanna go to a new school. I don't wanna have to make new friends."

Leo gave in to the urge to wrap Jim up in a hug. "I don't want you to go either, Jim," he said. "But, hey, we can still keep in touch, right? We can email and call and send old-fashion letters if we have to!"

Jim snorted his amusement at the suggestion, but his smile was less sad when he looked back up at Leo. "You really think we can?"

"Sure!" Leo exclaimed, smiling. At that moment, the bell rang, and Leo picked his book up as he stood with Jim. "This doesn't have to be the end of our friendship, Jim. We'll just have to get creative."

Jim smiled a full smile then. "I'm good at creative," he joked, nodding. They began walking back towards the school building.

Leo rolled his eyes. "I know, Jim. That's why this can work."

Right before they got past the jungle gym, Jim pulled them to a stop. Leo looked back at him, seeing a suddenly determined expression on his face. His blond hair was ruffled from the breeze, and his eyes seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight, like icicles. It took Leo's breath away.

"Jim?"

"You're my best friend, Bones," Jim said, grabbing Leo's arm. "I'm never gonna forget you, no matter what."

Leo was confused. "Of course, Jim, what -"

Jim cut him off, leaning forward to press their mouths together. Leo had never been kissed before; he'd heard the girls and some of the guys talking about it, saying how it was stuff people who  _like_  liked each other did, but he'd never been interested. He'd never really  _like_ liked anyone.

Jim's lips were soft, slightly wet from his constant licking them, but not unpleasant. Leo thought it was kinda nice. He could sorta see what all the fuss was about.

It didn't last long before Jim pulled back, grinning at Leo with a smile that was all in his bright eyes. "I'll come back to see you, Bones - I promise."

With that, Jim turned to head into the building to his class, and Leo followed a beat behind him, his mind playing a loop of  _Jim just kissed me Jim just kissed me_.

Jim had kissed him.

And now he was leaving.

Leo was too confused to even try figuring out why his heart was racing this time.

 

* * *

 

"You sure you don't wanna go to the party tonight?"

Leonard didn't bother not rolling his eyes as he and his roommate stomped up the stairs to their fifth floor dorm. The elevator was out. Again.

"I'm  _sure_ , Geoff," Leonard sighed, puffing out a breath as they reached their landing. "I've got better things to do than waste my night gettin’ drunk at a co-ed. Midterms, you know? Those things the professors grade us on to see where we're at?"

He could feel Geoff's answering eye roll as they exited the stairwell into their hall, heading for their room. "Like you have any reason to be worried, McCoy. You'll pass with flying colors like you always do."

Leonard harrumphed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing as he pulled his keycard out of his pocket as they walked together down the hall. "I've still got better things to do."

"Like what?"

"Sleep."

Leonard rolled his eyes again as his roommate laughed. As they approached their room, Leonard frowned at the haphazardly stacked boxes in front of the door across from theirs.

"When did Scotty get a new roommate?" he asked. He eyed the boxes as he slid the keycard into the scanner, waiting for the little green light on the lock before shoving the door open with his shoulder.

Geoff shrugged as they entered their room. "Not sure," he said. "I hear he's an astrophysics major or something. Skipped a couple grades in school, passed a bunch of the AP tests, and is pretty much set to graduate this year, after only  _three_ years of actual uni time. Real genius." He leaned in conspiratorially to Leonard, lowering his voice. "Rumor also has it he  _volunteered_  to be Scott's roommate. Pretty ballsy, if you ask me."

With as many roommates as Leonard had known the infamous Montgomery Scott to go through, he had to agree. He nodded, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it to the end of his bed as he collapsed into the chair at his desk. Running a hand through his hair, he turned to his laptop.

"Do you know his name?" Leonard asked as he waited for the computer to boot up.

"Nah," Geoff answered. He flopped down on his bed, turning to face Leonard. "I hear he's quite the looker, though. If you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows and laughed when Leonard threw one of his pillows at him.

"I will remove all your intestines slowly and painfully, M'Benga," Leonard warned, turning back to his computer. He opened the internet browser, heading to the school website. "And you know I will."

"Alright, alright," Geoff conceded, throwing his hands up. He was quiet for a minute before shooting up, smiling cheekily over at Leonard. "Oh! I bet he's going to that party tonight, which means if  _you_ go, you'll be able to meet him!"

“Still not goin’, Geoff.” 

“Fine, fine.” There was blessed silence for all of five minutes before his roommate broke it again. “But seriously, Leo, why not?” Geoff asked. He rolled over and propped his chin on his fist. “All you ever do is spend your time here in the room or in one of the library cubicles. You need to get out, man.” 

Leonard kept his attention on his laptop, focusing on the essay for his Intro to Philosophy class and the study guide for his Biochem IV lab. “I’m fine, Geoff. Drop it.” 

“’Fine’ isn’t giving up having a social life because you’re still hung up on Jocelyn, Leonard.” 

And there it was. 

Giving up pretending to study material he already knew, Leonard slammed the lid of his laptop closed harder than was necessary, fist clenched as he stared ahead at the wall. It had been a year and a half since they’d broken up after he found out about her sleeping around with his former best friend. Last he’d heard, they were planning on tying the knot in the next couple months and were expecting a baby. A little girl, going by what he’d heard on the grapevine.

And here was Leonard, third year pre-med Ole Miss undergrad, single, all of two friends, and still bitter over the betrayal of Jocelyn and Clay. 

Geoff was right, but Leonard didn’t have to like it. 

“Fine,  _yes,_  I’m still not over her,” Leonard bit out, glaring over at one of the few people he could consider a friend. It was a lie; he  _was_  over her. She’d never been “the one”, he could feel that much. It was the fact that she couldn’t just own up and break up with him in the first place that had him so bitter. “But I’m still not going out to some dumb party where there’s gonna be too many bodies in cramped rooms trying to dry hump each other into the next life. If I wanna get drunk, I’ll do it on my own damn time, in my own damn space, where I can wallow in my own damn self-pity in peace.” 

Geoff looked at him for a long moment, obviously not buying his bullshit, but he shrugged. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “But it wouldn’t kill you to go out and make new friends, Leo. Christine and I don’t really count because you were forced onto us for labs and we took pity on you.” 

Leonard knew he was right about that too, and he snorted in disdain. “I don’t need your pity, Geoff.” 

“Good thing we can read straight through your shit then, huh?” 

Leonard gave him that and opened his laptop, intending to actually do a bit of studying now that the touchy-subject conversation was out of the way. Geoff rolled off his bed and headed for the showers, telling him he was getting ready for the party because  _he_ was going to go have a good time. Leonard flipped him the bird and went back to his Biochem IV study guide. 

Half past seven, Leonard’s stomach gave a mighty grumble, demanding sustenance, and Leonard shut down his laptop to focus on other things for the night. The dorm cafeteria would be open, but Leonard didn’t trust the questionable masses of...  _stuff_  the kitchens advertised as edible meals. It sure as hell wasn’t  _food._  

He shrugged back into his jacket, grabbing his wallet and keycard as he headed for the door. The Thai place a couple blocks down the street from the campus sounded pretty good. Stepping out into the hallway, Leonard noticed the boxes were gone, and the room’s door was propped open. Some sort of alternative rock was playing, and Leonard could hear Scotty muttering to himself as he tinkered with whatever experiment he was in the middle of. Leonard honestly didn’t want to be in the near vicinity when whatever went wrong inevitably  _did_ , so the Thai place was sounding even better. 

Leonard shoved his hands in his pockets as he moved down the hall to the stairs. The sounds of TV came through the walls of the guys in the room two doors down from his, and laughter, bright and nearly contagious floated to him from someone down at the end of the hall at the RA’s door. 

“Aw, c’mon, Spock! I’m not  _that_ bad, am I?” 

The fact that someone was actually trying to have a conversation with their RA made Leonard snort, and then he shook his head for eavesdropping on a conversation - or lack thereof - that he wasn’t a part of. 

“You have been to 47, as you call them, ‘co-eds’ in the past two semesters, Jim,” Spock answered the man in his deadpan way, and Leonard slowed at the familiar name - apparently the new guy’s, because while Leonard didn’t talk to many people, he still knew the names of everyone on his floor. And until today, they had no “Jim.” 

“Hah, that’s gotta be a record!” 

“I’m sure, Jim.” 

“Oh, you’re no fun!” And Leonard couldn’t help but agree as he approached the end of the hall, moving to the other side to avoid running into Scotty’s new roommate and their RA. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s won some kind of award for his lack of fun,” Leonard couldn’t help but mutter, and the glare Spock sent him let him know it wasn’t quite as under his breath as he’d hoped. 

“Nah, he’s just got his own brand, don’tcha, Spock?” the new guy smiled, turning to face Leonard as he passed and sticking out his hand. “I’m Jim, by the way! I don’t think we’ve -” 

Jim had frozen in place, eyes wide, and Leonard was on the verge of concerned. His brow furrowed, and he looked Jim over for signs of something that would explain the sudden wide-eyed, practically  _awed_  stare he was giving Leonard. His eyes were a stunning shade of blue, so bright they shimmered like ice crystals in the fluorescent lighting of the dorms. 

They seemed... familiar, and the lurch in Leonard’s stomach was one he hadn’t felt in a long,  _long_ time. 

“ _Bones?”_  Jim breathed, and just like that, it clicked. 

“Jim  _Kirk.”_ Leonard stared, mouth hanging open. “ _Jim.”_

A heartbeat later and Leonard had an armful of Jim Kirk, and he was hugging the kid back just as hard. Jim had buried his face in Leonard’s neck, and Leonard could smell his aftershave and shampoo, something fresh and clean. 

“Oh,  _wow,”_ Jim laughed, pulling back and looking Leonard up and down. “It’s been so long, Bones! Man, I’ve missed you!” 

“Yeah, you too, kid,” Leonard grinned, really  _grinned_ , for the first time in... well. It was a sad thing that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually  _smiled._  “God, I - how’ve you been? It’s been years since I’ve seen you, Jim!” 

Jim chuckled again, taking a step back. “Yeah, it has,” he agreed. “I, ah, I’ve been good! Well, as good as is expected of a genius-level repeat offender, I guess.” 

Leonard frowned, cocking an eyebrow. “’Repeat offender’, Jim? Really?” 

Jim just grinned cheekily, such a familiar expression Leonard hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. “Is that really news, Bones? I was always a problem child.” He shrugged. “Not long after we moved, Mom got so busy that she eventually stopped coming home most nights, so it was just me and Sam. Once Sam left, I... I acted out.” 

Leonard felt his heart clench as Jim’s shoulders sagged, the kid hunching in on himself as his gaze travelled far away. He laid a gentle hand on Jim’s arm, and Jim smiled up at him. 

“Why didn’t you ever call me, Jim?” he asked softly, eyebrows furrowed. “I told you you could. If you needed help, I would’ve been there.” 

“I know, Bones,” Jim said quietly, taking Leonard’s hand on his arm into his hands, holding it tightly. “I just... didn’t want to inconvenience you, I guess. You were in Georgia and I was in Iowa, and I was growing up. I had to learn to take care of myself.” 

“You moved when we were  _ten_ , Jim,” Leonard stressed, pulling Jim into another hug. Jim was warm against him, and he found he really didn’t want to let go again. “How quickly did you have to grow up?” 

Jim chuckled again, but it was sad. “Too fast, Bones. Too fast.” 

They stood in the hall in silence for several heartbeats, Leonard just holding Jim, and Jim breathing steadily against his neck. Eventually, Leonard pulled away, clearing his throat and grinning slightly down at Jim. 

“Uh, hey, so I was just on my way out to grab a bite at the Thai place on the corner down the street,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Jim smiled up at him widely, all white teeth and bright blue eyes. “You wanna, I don’t know, join me, catch up a bit? If you’re not busy, that is.” 

Jim laughed, full-bellied and carefree, hugging Leonard once again. “Ah, Bones! You sure know how to woo a guy!” He sobered a bit, but his grin was still bright. “No, but seriously, I’d love that. I think we have a little bit of time to catch up, after all.” 

“Sure do, Jim,” Leonard agreed. He swung an arm around Jim’s shoulders as Jim’s arm wrapped around his waist, and they headed towards the stairs. “Sure do.” 

Once outside the dorm building, Jim pulled them to a stop, much like he’d done that day on the playground over a decade ago. He turned to Leonard, smile soft, eyes determined and shining brightly in the light of the setting sun. Just like that day, he leaned up and pressed his lips to Leonard’s again, though this time Leonard knew  _exactly_ what the racing of his heart and the feeling in his stomach meant, and he leaned into the kiss, savoring the feel of soft, chapped lips against his own. 

“Told you I’d come back to see you, Bones,” Jim whispered, and Leonard rolled his eyes. 

“Sure took your time, darlin’,” he drawled, elbowing Jim in the side.

“But I  _did,”_ Jim countered, elbowing him back. 

Leonard smiled, pulling Jim close as they walked down the street to the Thai place on the corner. 

“Yes, you did, Jim. Yes, you did.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [leviathncas](http://leviathncas.tumblr.com)


End file.
